Wiki

The reason I love wikis and one of the reasons they are so useful for education, is because a wiki will stay there forever, or until someone takes it down. Other class collaborative websites (like blackboard, for instance) disappear as soon as the semester is over, which inhibit the students from accessing it later in their academic career.

The thing I am most proud of this semester...

Is my personal technology project. It's just below this post, but just in case you are reading this on a feed, here is the link: Personal Technology Project.

The reason I am the most proud of this project is because I really love narrating, and I had never even thought about making a youtube video showcasing it. Not to mention, this is a quick an easy way to compare narrative styles, and for students to share it with one another without using class time. I could assign them to watch two projects on their own and then write a response, that way they would not have to spend a few days rehearsing projects in class, although that tactic does have its advantages.

Personal Technology Project

Narrative Comparison

Overarching question: How does narrative tone affect your perception of the character? What literary elements are encompassed in narrative tone, and how can you best use those elements in your own writing? 

Assignment: Listen to a selection from any audio book of your choosing. Select 90 seconds to re-record yourself. When you record these two examples of how to narrate, be sure that they are contrasting in the narrative delivery of the text. Then write a one-page reflection, detailing why you chose that particular narrative tone, and how you feel it is supported by the text. Please then post a video of your readings, including the professional reading selection, to our class wiki. Your reflection you do not have to post, although you may for extra credit. 

This assignment addresses Standard 4 of the Utah LA Core: Understand and use receptive and expressive oral language skills to communicate

part f: Plan, present, and critique dramatic readings of literary selections. 

Sample Response:

Anxiety and Speed

My first recording of Mia Thermopolis (the name of the main character in The Princess Diaries) I tried to go at a fairly normal speed (compared to some of the fast talking friends I know) as if she were a normal, somewhat shy 9th grader, because that’s who I feel like she is. I think that Mia is reticent to share any information beyond what she usually feels like she has to, although some of her insights do give the story character. 

But I wanted just a normal read, nothing too out-of-the ordinary. There was no excessive tone or volume, and I thought that the pacing was good, although I didn’t try to match the pacing of the professionally recorded narrative. 

The second recording I definitely tried to speed up the pace. I did this for two reasons. One, I thought it would convey the anxiety of the character, but two I also feel like it lends to Mia showing that she wants to share with someone, that she really wants a friend. Which is the whole reason she has a diary in the first place I feel like. However, as I mentioned before, Mia seems a little shy and sometimes unwilling to give up the information, even to her oh-so-secret diary, and I wanted to see if the words when read with a quicker pace would still convey that hesitancy. They did not. If you read the passage like a girl dying to share her secrets, It sounds like a girl... dying to share her secrets. 

Personal Technology Project Proposal

The standard I wish to work on is from the 8th Grade Utah Core: 
Standard 1 (Reading): Students will use vocabulary development and an understanding of text elements and structures to comprehend literary and informational grade level text" for 8th grade
Objective 3 (Comprehension of Literary Text): Comprehend literature using elements of narrative and poetic text.  

b. Describe a character’s traits as revealed by the character’s thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions. 

This wil be accomplished partly by audio books and partly by student readings. For my personal technology project, I will have the students listen to an audio version of a text, and then have the students record several versions of the text, in order to show how different narration can change the meaning of the text. The students will upload their examples as one video to youtube, in order to easily contrast them. Depending on the length of the selection these videos can be from 5-8 minutes long. 

This project entails not only listening to an audiobook, but recording your own performances of the text, mixing those performances into one video, and uploading that video on youtube.